𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

one hundred nineteen.

─☼☼☼─

CHARLOTTE'S HEART RAMMED into her ribcage as she heaved a deep breath, an overwhelming anxiety overtaking her as she watched JJ slip into the tree line. Chaos surged on behind them, destruction and violence as the Pogues watched their best friend run from captivity. 

"Holy fuck," she whispered, tears of frustration pricking at her eyes as she raked a hand through her hand. "Holy fuck."

John B looked over his shoulder at the scene unfolding in front of town hall. "We have to go," he declared. "Now."

Charlotte knew what he was saying was correct, they needed to find JJ before Shoupe and his officers did. But she couldn't just leave Rafe here. She was done leaving him behind. 

As if she had called out to him, Rafe's voice cut through the chaos. "Charlotte!" The fact that she heard it over all of the noise was a miracle in and of itself. 

She turned, heart surging at the sight of him coming toward her through the crowd. He was no longer handcuffed, another miracle that they so desperately needed. "Rafe!" She called back, her feet already moving toward him. 

He had her in his embrace within seconds, holding her tightly against his tense body. "You okay?" He wondered, stepping back slightly to check her body for any sign of harm. 

"Yeah," she nodded, her eyes falling to his bare wrists. "What happened to the cuffs?"

A smirk ghosted his lips. "They had bigger things to worry about."

The short reprieve Charlotte had felt upon seeing Rafe was instantly gone. She needed to go. JJ needed her. 

Looking over her shoulder, the rest of the Pogues were waving her on, begging for her to join them. "I have to go," she announced, untangling herself from Rafe's hold. 

A line formed between Rafe's brows as he surveyed the Pogues, surely noting the missing link. "Where's Maybank?"

"That's the point," Charlotte answered, giving her head a small shake. "We don't know."

Rafe's hand slipped from her arm, his fingers intertwining with hers. "Come on," he prodded, eyes set forward as he began for the Pogues. 

Charlotte's heart dropped slightly, unsure of what was about to happen. "What are you doing?" She demanded, forced to two step in order to keep up with his long strides. "I have to go."

"Let's go," Rafe ordered, he wasn't speaking to her this time but to her friends who were all staring back at him with furrowed expressions. 

"What?" Kiara snapped, looking between Rafe and Charlotte, noting their tangled fingers. Charlotte pulled her hand from Rafe's holding it behind her back as if to prevent herself from returning it to where it belonged. 

Rafe let out an agitated sigh as if they were all supposed to know what he was planning. "You're looking for Maybank...right? Good luck doing that in that abomination you call a vehicle," he nodded toward the Twinkie. "The cops will be all over you quicker than you can get the damn thing started."

John B scoffed, "Awesome, Rafe. Because what we needed was for you to come over her and insult us right now."

"I have a truck," Rafe continued, speaking to all of them as if they were idiots. "You can find him on a set of wheels quicker than you can running around with your fucking sneakers that look like they're skimming pavement."